Day 2 of a 3-day long weekend of Autumn Migration tours today. The easterly winds of the last couple of weeks finally swung round to the south overnight, but there were some new birds arriving overnight and some others still to catch up with. The change in the wind direction meant it was a bit drier, after the morning mist cleared, and brighter and warmer in the afternoon.
It was a bit misty and cool as we arrived at Holkham. We could hear Pink-footed Geese calling watched as a flock disappeared off inland from the grazing marshes, heading off to feed on the fields. In the holm oaks right on Lady Anne’s Drive, we came across a small tit flock, the usual Long-tailed Tits, other tits and Goldcrests, but we couldn’t find anything else with them.
As we walked west on the south side of the pines, a variety of thrushes flew out of the trees – Song Thrushes, Redwings and Blackbirds. There were finches on the move again today – with Bramblings, Siskins and Redpolls all flying over calling. However, they were eclipsed in number by the Starlings today, with a steady stream of flocks flying west right through the morning, some numbering several hundred birds.
We stopped at the gate before Washington Hide to have a scan of the grazing marshes and watch all the activity. We were just turning to leave when one of the group spotted a Great White Egret approaching. It circled over the fields in front of us a couple of times before disappearing back towards the trees.
Great White Egret – circled over the grazing marshes
The sycamores by Washington Hide were rustling in the breeze and still cool in the morning mist. There was no sign of any tit flock here and we couldn’t find any warblers either, just a couple of Goldcrests hiding in among the leaves. However, as we walked up a Redstart started calling and showed very well, flying backwards and forwards between the trees, perching on the lower branches.
Redstart – showed very well by Washington Hide
While we were watching the Redstart, we heard Bearded Tits calling on and off. Then we just caught sight of a flock as it dropped out of the sky and down into the reeds. We couldn’t see them from the boardwalk by the hide, but as we got back down onto the main path we heard them again and looked up to see six Bearded Tits flying round in circles high over the reeds. Even though they look like quite weak fliers, they can disperse over considerable distances, particularly at this time of year. As we stood watching them, a flock of 80 Redwings flew out of the trees and off south across the marshes. Lots of birds on the move today!
At this point, we heard news that a Dusky Warbler had been found out in Burnham Overy Dunes. This would be a great bird to see, so we set off to walk over that way. We assumed that we could have a better look for warblers in the trees on the way back, once it had brightened up a little. We did hear a couple of Yellow-browed Warblers on the way through the trees, and got a brief look at one when it came to the edge of the sallows in which it was hiding.
Coming out into the dunes, we didn’t stop to search the bushes, but pressed on west. Someone was walking through the top of the dunes and as he went was flushing lots of thrushes, which flew across in front of us to the bushes beyond the fence. Several Redwings landed in a bush in front of us. We noticed a blackbird with silvery wings heading towards us and when it turned we could just make out a paler off-white gorget – it was a Ring Ouzel. It saw us standing there and circled round, before dropping down again in the dunes further over. A couple of Stonechats perched up in the bushes by the fence.
We made our way quickly over to where the Dusky Warbler had first been found, but there was no sign of it. It had apparently been moving west, so we decided to check out all the bushes out towards Gun Hill. There was no sign of it out there, but we did see another Redstart.
After having a good look round, we happened to notice another birder only 200m or so back east in the dunes from us who suddenly started to hurry back towards the boardwalk. There were still quite a few other people looking for the Dusky Warbler out further west of us too, towards Gun Hill, but there was no shout in our direction. As he passed three more birders who had just been sitting down, they got up and followed him, so we suspected something might have been found. However, checking the news services there was nothing to indicate what it might be. On a hunch, we set off in the direction he had gone, but when we got back towards the boardwalk there was no sign of anyone there. Perhaps he was just in a hurry to get back?
We started to check the bushes this way again, while another birder passed us by and walked back over the boardwalk into the dunes. After a few seconds, he very kindly ran back up to the top of the dunes and shouted over – a small crowd had been sitting in the dunes watching the Dusky Warbler the other side, without telling anyone. Not especially helpful!
We hurried over there, but by the time we arrived, the Dusky Warbler was on the move again. We could hear it calling but it flicked out the back of the bushes where it had been performing for the crowd and flew over the fence beyond. We could just see it flitting around in some vegetation the other side, before it flew further back and then flew off east behind the dunes. Most of the group managed to get a look at it, but it would have been much better for all if the news of its relocation had been put out in a more timely fashion. A nice bird to see, but all a little frustrating!
Common Darter – perched on one of the group’s hats
It had brightened up by the time we got back to the pines and there were lots of insects flying around the trees on the sunny side. When we stopped, we were suddenly surrounded by several Common Darters, several of which decided to perch on people’s faces, arms and hats!
Almost at the far west end of the pines, we heard another Yellow-browed Warbler calling, but it was quite a way from the path.Walking slowly back east, we met someone who had just seen a Radde’s Warbler, but the vegetation here is very dense and after a quick look, it became clear we could struggle to relocate it. We did find yet another Yellow-browed Warbler nearby and this one showed well in an oak tree.
Yellow-browed Warbler – one of at least 6 we saw or heard today
It was to be the story of much of the walk back – the warmer and brighter weather had brought them all out from hiding. We heard or saw at least five Yellow-browed Warblers before we got to the crosstracks. Otherwise, there were a few Chiffchaffs now enjoying all the insects, as well as lots of Goldcrests. We did find a tit flock as we approached the crosstracks, but all we could find with it was one of the Yellow-browed Warblers.
The other side of Meals House, we found another tit flock. There had been a Pallas’s Warbler with these birds the day before yesterday, but it had not been reported since. Despite that, we thought it was most likely still with them, so we stopped to check them out. There was no sign of the Pallas’s at first, but we did find yet another Yellow-browed Warbler. Then the Long-tailed Tits set off east through the trees, with the rest of the flock following in their wake.
We set off in pursuit of the tit flock, and tried to get ahead of them on the boardwalk by Washington Hide. We succeeded but, rather than stopping in the sycamores, the whole flock flew high over the gap and disappeared into the pines the other side. We had a tantalising glimpse of a warbler as they did so. We set off after them again and they made their way very quickly east through the middle of the pines. We could hear the Long-tailed Tits calling from deep in the trees as they made their way as far as Salts Hole and then they went quiet and seemed to disappear.
While most of the group stayed on the path, a couple of us set off into the trees to see if we could find which direction they had gone. Deep into cover, we found The Long-tailed Tits were still there, but they had started feeding lower down in the evergreen holm oaks and were now just calling quietly to each other. We were standing in a small sunny clearing, but the birds were all but impossible to see in the dense foliage. Then the Pallas’s Warbler suddenly appeared right in front of us in the sunshine on the outside of the closest tree. Despite whistling, the rest of the group did not realise and by the time we ran down to tell them the Pallas’s Warbler had disappeared into the trees again.
With all the chasing after tit flocks, it was now getting on, so we made our way back to the car for a rather late lunch. Given the sunny weather, we sat outside on the picnic tables on Lady Anne’s Drive – it could almost have been summer! While we were eating, a Red Kite circled over the grazing marshes beyond. A Jackdaw perched on the post next to us and eyed our food hungrily.
Jackdaw – hanging round the picnic tables at lunchtime
After lunch, we drove round to Burnham Overy Staithe. A Barred Warbler had been in the bushes just the other side of the seawall from the car park for a couple of days. They can be inveterate skulkers sometimes, but this one was much more amenable. As soon as we got up onto the seawall, we could see it lumbering around in the brambles just below us. It flew up into the hedge a little further over but kept returning down to the same bushes. We spent some time enjoying watching it.
Barred Warbler – showed well in the bushes at Burnham Overy Staithe
Barred Warblers breed from central and eastern Europe across into Asia and winter in eastern Africa. They are annual visitors here in small numbers, usually blown off course on easterly winds. Most of the Barred Warblers which occur here are 1st winter birds, as was this one – with just faint barring on the flanks.
While we were enjoying the Barred Warbler, we could see a selection of other birds from our vantage point on the seawall. Six Swallows flew in and started hawking for insects just along from us. Out in the harbour we could see flocks of Brent Geese and lots of Little Egrets and Curlews out on the saltmarsh. A Great Black-backed Gull down in the harbour channel was wrestling with a large flatfish, trying to work out how it might be able to eat it.
We had tried for the Radde’s Warbler at Warham Greens yesterday, but it had proven impossible to see in the cool and windy conditions. With the better weather, it had seemingly been showing much better today, so we headed over there again to try our luck a second time. This time it was in – a small crowd was watching the bird as we walked up. It was hard to see , skulking in the thickets of nettles or the ivy-covered tree trunks, but with a bit of patience and perseverance, we were all able to get good views of it. It was very close, but at one point we had it only a metre or so away from us, down on the ground in the nettles. Great stuff!
Radde’s Warbler – skulking in the nettles
It was a great way to end the day, so we eventually had to tear ourselves away and head back to the car. As we did so, a small party of four Grey Herons flew overhead, making their way west over the track. A reminder that it is migration season and lots of birds are still on the move.
